Bombay High Court sets up special bench to hear appeals in 7/11 train blasts case after 18 years

Mumbai: Eighteen years after the 7/11 serial train blasts case, the Bombay High Court on Friday set up a special bench to hear the appeals filed by convicts and also the confirmation of death sentences handed down.

On July 11, 2006, seven blasts occurred at different locations in seven suburban trains of Western Railway, killing more than 180 persons and injuring several others.

As per a notice issued by the Registrar of the High Court, a special division bench comprising Justices Anil Kilor and Shyam Chandak will take up the case from July 15 onwards.

The move comes shortly after one of the convicts, Ehtesham Siddique, who was sentenced to death, filed an application through his lawyer Yug Chaudhary seeking early hearing of the matter.

Chaudhary had, earlier this month, told a division bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande that the accused in the case have been behind bars for the last 18 years and their appeals have not been taken up for hearing yet.

He further pointed out that the appeals have been time and again listed before several benches but have not yet been taken up for hearing.

The bench had then expressed that 18 years was indeed too long a time and had said steps would be taken to ensure the appeals are heard.

It was then informed to the bench by both Chaudhary and special public prosecutor Raja Thakare that the hearing into the appeals would take at least six months.

In September 2015, the trial court convicted 12 persons. Five were given the death penalty while the remaining seven were sentenced to life imprisonment.

The state government then filed an appeal in HC seeking confirmation of the death penalty. A death sentence awarded by the trial court has to be confirmed by the HC.

The convicts too filed appeals challenging their conviction and sentences. Since then the appeals have come up before 11 different benches but have not been taken up for hearing as yet.